Vibrant, but invisible: A study of contemporary religious periodicals

Religious publications have a long and varied history in the United States. The publications are among the first magazines to appear in the United Sta tes, and their content helped shape the early Republic's literacy, morals, and political events. But du ring the past 150 years, their influence has l essened. Although some 3,000 religious publications exist today, most repor t small circulation levels, Critics contend that many religious magazines a re more focused on doctrinal battles than presenting news and information f or the general public. To further study this invisible but vibrant segment of magazine publishing, the researcher surveyed editors of publications hol ding membership in either the Associated Church Press or the Evangelical Pr ess Association, The survey is used to construct a picture of the editorial foci, audiences, fu tiding models, and future opportunities awaiting the P rotestant press. This is the first step toward integrating the religious pr ess into existing theories of specialty magazine publishing. The paper conc ludes with suggestions for further research.